Ethical Conduct at the Workplace

1. If you worked for Frank Darabont and you believed in virtue ethics, how would
   you react to his emails? Or, think about it this way. How would Aristotle react to
   Darabont? Make sure you use the concepts of virtue ethics to support your
   reaction.
   In virtue ethics, ethical conduct is not about consequences or actions. Rather, it is about
   the agent. According to this theory, people should develop character traits or virtues that
   allow them to live well or effectively fulfill their functions in the society (Stos, 2018). Thus,
   what is considered a vice or a virtue depends on how well it helps a person to fulfill their
   functions. For instance, virtues of a soldier are different from virtues of a surgeon. Thus,
   when determining whether Darabont acted ethically or not, it is important to consider his role
   as a producer. I would consider virtues of a producer to be professionalism and good
   communication skills. From the emails, it is clear that Darabont does not possess these
   virtues. Thus, his actions were unethical.
2. How would you react as a Utilitarian? Is there more than one way in which a
   Utilitarian could view Darabont’s actions? Make sure you use the concepts of
   utilitarianism to support your positions.
   Utilitarian ethics hold that when one is faced with a situation that needs ethical
   application, they should choose an option that brings the most benefits or happiness to the
   largest number of people (Stos, 2018). There are two ways in which a utilitarian would view
   the actions of Darabont. First, Darabont’s emails hurt many of his colleagues by their
   meanness (Maddaus, 2017). Viewed in this way, Darabont did not act in a utilitarian manner.
   The second view is the opposite of the first one. In this second view, Darabont’s actions were
   to help produce a perfect and entertaining program that would bring a lot of happiness to its
   viewers and generate a lot of money for his company which would be used to pay the

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company’s employees, including his colleagues. Thus, Darabont acted ethically because by
being mean to a small number of people, Darabont helped to bring a lot of happiness to a
larger number of people.

3. What ethical theory would best support Darabont’s email attitude? In other
   words, what ethical theory could Darabont say he was following? Support your
   choice.
   The ethical theory that would support Darabont’s email attitude is deontology. According
   to deontological ethics, a person should adhere to their duties and obligations when making
   decisions where ethical considerations have to be made (Stos, 2018). The consequences of his
   decisions are of no consequence; what matters is that he fulfills his duties or obligations.
   In the case of Darabont, his duty was to his employers and the fans of his program. It was his
   duty to produce a great show that fans would love and make money for his employer. By
   being extremely tough and strict with his colleagues, he wanted to make sure that they make
   the best show that they could and allow him to fulfill his obligations to fans and his employer.
4. What do you believe is a leader\’s role in shaping the ethical environment of a
   company and what are some ways in which this role may be carried out?
   (Question 4 simply requires your opinion so it does not need to be supported
   with the course materials.)
   In shaping the ethical environment of a company, a leader has four roles. First, they need
   to set the tone. If leaders behave in an ethical manner, the employees are also going to behave
   in an ethical manner. The opposite is also true. Employees are likely to imitate unethical
   behavior from their leaders. Secondly, leaders need to ensure that unethical people do not join
   their organization. This can be achieved through including behavioral questions in interviews
   and thoroughly checking one’s references. Third, leaders should make ethical conduct a
   policy of the organization. Everyone, regardless of their position in the company, should

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understand that they are expected to act in an ethical manner. Lastly, they should ensure that
there is zero tolerance for unethical behaviors at the workplace. Any behavior that violates
ethical norms should be corrected in a swift manner.

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References

Stos, S. (2018). Utilitarianism, Deontology and Virtue Ethics: Teaching Ethical Philosophy
by Means of a Case Study. Journal of Business Ethics Education, 15, 315-322.
Maddaus, G. (2017, July 3). Frank Daranont’s Rage Boils Over: The ‘Walking Dead’ Emails.
Variety. https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/frank-darabont-walking-dead-emails-rage-
boils-over-1202494598/